FibroDiva

I went to IHOP yesterday with my daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter. While they ordered regular items, all I ordered was a slice of baked ham. I also tipped as if I had ordered a full meal.

I recently attended a retreat where all kinds of goodies were served nonstop. A waiter asked why I wasn't endulging like all the other attendees. I responded, "I have a rare physical deformity, I don't have a stomach". He replied, "you know when you go out to eat, if you quietly tell your waiter about that, most times you can be accommodated with smaller portions. Don't be embarrassed to speak up and ask for what you need". I've been following his advice. I find if you say you had bariatric surgery, some people don't know what you're talking about.

Make it 14 things never to say. Here's one my son-in-law said yesterday . . . 14. You have to eat like this for the rest of your life, sucks to be you!

Fibromyalgia affects each person differently, thus each Fibromyalgia/Chronic Pain Sleever will experience post-op pain and Fibro Flares differently. Hopefully understanding the different types of pre-op FM pain will help you determine your best post-op coping strategies.

Thanks for the info and recipes. I've had such a hard time with the Protein shakes. Now that I am on soft foods, I've been sprinkling Protein powder on things like scrambled eggs, oatmeal and mash potatoes after they're done cooking and just before I begin to eat. I will try these recipes.

I've decided to reward myself for weight loss by putting a little money away each month. Once I hit goal then I will go all out on clothes shopping

So now that I'm down a size or two, now I can't find Tall Women/Girls clothing.

I have several grandchildren and have not seen most of them since pre-op. Yesterday I saw my 4 year old grandson MJ. Because of my weight loss and physical therapy, my Fibromyalgia pain has decreased so I was able to bend down to his level. MJ screamed, "YaYa you're my height, I can see your eyes". He then hugged me and said, "YaYa I can hug all of you!" :wub:

Thanks Carlotta and Marha761. I'm still beaming. Grandchildren are the best.

So true and insightful.

I understand how you feel. My stress has been my grown children and god-children. I understand that the economy is really bad, even for those with college degrees like my children, but I am so stressed with them constantly asking me for help. I feel guilty if I don't help them because I was once in their shoes but I also worry what helping them will do to my retirement life. Worrying about them causes stomach distress for me.

Thanks ladies. Now I'm not so frustrated. I think I'm going to weight until I hit 199 pounds and then go shopping again. I'm at 214 and I'm looking kinda frail so when I hit 199 I can reassess how much more I might want to lose. Miss Mac, that is so funny. I agree Wendy Williams in not a 6/8. My daughter is a 6/8 and a good wind storm would blow her over. :-)

Hey fellow Chicagoans, does anyone have a suggestion to handle thirst? Pre-op I could drink over 120 ounces of water and other fluids a day. Post-op I'm only get about 16 ounces. I've already been to the ER once for IV fluids. I don't want to have to go back. http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/blog/2563-fibro-divas-bariatric-blog/ https://www.facebook.com/FibroDiva

All of my docs [cardiologist, pcp, and Fibro/pain] were able to prescribe liquid versions of all my pre-op meds. Ask your doctor if your meds come in liquid form. http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/blog/2563-fibro-divas-bariatric-blog/ https://www.facebook.com/FibroDiva

this is good to know Sassygirl06. Like you I didn't feel thirsty pre-op. I could drink over 120 ounces of water and other Fluid all day long. Now that I am post-op if I can get in 16 ounces of liquid a day I'm pushing it. It is driving me crazy. I am soooo thirsty all the time and it is hard to talk because my mouth is so dry. http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/blog/2563-fibro-divas-bariatric-blog/ https://www.facebook.com/FibroDiva

For more info on Fibromyalgia and chronic pain, and support and encouragement, join me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/FibroDiva.

Good luck. The dogs should be ok but your 16 month old may be a handful. The first time I watched my 16 month old granddaughter by myself I had a problem and had to call upon her other grandmother to help.

Congratulations. I was sleeved August 1st. I'm down 42 lbs. Still having trouble with nausea and vomiting, but I did get to go to a conference the first week of September and enjoyed myself.

Fibromyalgia: A Diagnosis of Exclusion No Longer There were several master classes offered for physicians and other attendees at PainWeek 2013 in Las Vegas, NV the first week of September. Fibromyalgia was the first and most anticipated. Obviously PainWeek organizers underestimated the interest in Fibro. At first there was standing room only, eager "students" stood 3 deep along the walls and 6 deep out the door. Finally, workers from the Cosmopolitan Hotel found a new room with enough seating for everyone. Thank God I had my scooter with me, I would never have been able to get from class to class so soon after being sleeved. The next few posts will be about the Fibromyalgia Master Class.

Dr. Jay concluded the workshop with a mention about treatment that I found particularly interesting. Dr. Jay said . . . "Fibromyalgia is more difficult to treat because people with FM commonly have significant hypersensitivity to the prescribed medications. FDA-approved agents to treat fibromyalgia are pregabalin, a gabapentinoid, and two serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, duloxetine and milnacipran. These drugs should be started low and slowly titrated [increased] in patients."

Dr. Jay informed the Master Class students that, Fibromyalgia is currently a clinical entity within the spectrum of central sensitivity syndromes, which includes chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, temporomandibular disorder, restless leg syndrome and periodic limb movements in sleep, idiopathic low back pain, multiple chemical hypersensitivity, headache (tension-type, migraine, mixed), interstitial cystitis, chronic pelvic pain and endometriosis, and myofascial pain syndrome.

In addressing the issue of disability and Fibro, Dr. Jay stated . . . Fibromyalgia has a negative effect on careers, mental health, and personal relationships, with increased work absences, decreased productivity, and higher direct/indirect medical and other costs.

Dr. Jay informed attendees that, the pain of FM can wax and wane, and, intensity may vary, as may physical location of pain. He listed the usual symptoms of Fibromyalgia: fatigue and sleep disorder, tenderness, stiffness, mood disturbances, cognitive difficulties, and admitted that FM can be the cause of multiple areas of functional impairment. Dr. Jay emphasized that physicians and other healthcare providers realize that people with Fibromyalgia often have difficulty climbing stairs, walking two blocks, and with activities of daily living.

Dr. Jay made sure to emphasize several times that people with fibromyalgia must be treated within a medical model. He provided "students" with the new 2010 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) diagnostic criteria for Fibro stating the new ACR diagnostic criteria requires three conditions be met: 1) a widespread pain index (WPI) ≥7 and symptom severity (SS) scale score ≥5 or WPI 3 to 6 and SS scale score ≥9; 2) symptoms have been present at a similar level for at least 3 months; and 3) the patient doe not have a disorder that would otherwise explain the pain. Note: I was just a wee bit disappointed that as a patient, I knew something doctors didn't know. The Fibro Diva Report discussed the new 2010 ACR diagnostic criteria for FM this past summer.

This class was taught by Gary W. Jay, MD, FAAPM, a pain medicine and management consultant from Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina. Dr. Jay began the class stating, diagnosis of fibromyalgia is not one of exclusion but based on clinical characteristics, the primary hallmark of which is chronic, widespread pain of 3 months or more in duration.